Think your body responds the same way to running in 70° weather as it does in 30°? Think again.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the complete biomechanics of cold weather running—and giving you the exact injury prevention system I use with my athletes to stay consistent, strong, and pain-free all winter long.

If you've ever dealt with tight calves that won't loosen up, an Achilles that gets cranky in the cold, or hamstrings that feel like they're one stride away from disaster—this episode will change how you approach your winter training.

Key Takeaways:

• Why your winter warm-up needs to be 2-3x longer than summer (and what to do instead of static stretching)
• The 6-8 dynamic movements that actually prepare your nervous system for cold conditions
• How shortened stride length and increased cadence protect your Achilles, hamstrings, and IT band
• Why changing out of wet clothes immediately isn't just about comfort—it's injury prevention
• The winter strength training focus that makes you come out stronger in spring

Who This Episode Is For:

Runners training through winter, athletes dealing with cold-weather injuries, coaches looking for evidence-based protocols, or anyone who wants to understand the biomechanics of temperature and performance.

Whether you're prepping for a spring marathon or just trying to maintain your base without getting sidelined, this episode gives you actionable strategies you can implement on your very next run.

Connect with Dr. Heather:

Instagram: @drheathergansel

Website: https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

Join the Running Community: https://www.skool.com/virtual-chiropractors-6328/about?ref=ec0dd745cc8942c983df5d3f1b08968b

[Leave a review if this episode helped you stay injury-free this winter—it helps other runners find the show!]

Support the show

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

In this episode, Dr. Heather takes runners on a simple, practical, and surprisingly fun journey inside the body to explore one of the most powerful performance tools you already use every day: the Krebs Cycle — your natural energy engine.

Whether you’re training for a 5K or grinding toward an ultra, your performance, stamina, and recovery all come back to how efficiently your body can turn food into fuel. In this presentation, we break the science down into real-world language so every runner can finally understand:

✅ How carbs, fats, and proteins become energy
✅ Why runners hit the wall — and how to prevent it
✅ What your cells are doing during endurance training
✅ How to fuel differently for short vs long distances
✅ How to avoid mid-run energy crashes and improve recovery

This episode is all about turning science into strategy — so you can fuel confidently and perform at your best.

If you enjoyed this breakdown and want deeper support, coaching, and community, join us inside the Skool Community, where runners receive:
🏃‍♀️ Weekly run clinics
🍎 Fueling & nutrition trainings
🩺 Injury-prevention guidance from Dr. Heather
💬 Direct access to both of us for Q&A
🎥 A full library of on-demand lessons & replays

Your strongest finish starts with understanding your body.
👉 Join us inside the community: PR Pursuit (Performance Runners)

Support the show

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

In this episode, Dr. Heather — Sports Chiropractor and movement specialist — breaks down the powerful connection between your gait, your nervous system, and your performance as a runner.

If you’ve ever dealt with recurring tightness, one-sided injuries, or that frustrating feeling that your stride is “off,” this conversation will finally give you clarity. Dr. Heather explains:

✅ What a gait analysis actually measures
✅ How your brain and muscles communicate during each stride
✅ Why small movement inefficiencies become bigger injuries
✅ The hidden imbalances most runners don’t know they have
✅ How correcting your gait can lead to better performance, smoother miles, and faster recovery

You’ll walk away understanding that your stride tells a story — and when you learn how to read it, you gain the power to run stronger, longer, and pain-free.

🔥 Want to dive deeper?
This full topic was originally taught LIVE inside our Skool Running Community, where runners gain access to exclusive trainings, injury-prevention workshops, weekly support, and direct guidance from Coach Mel and Dr. Heather.

🎥 Join the Skool community to access the full replay, plus more education designed to support your running journey.
👉 PR Pursuit

Your best running begins with understanding your movement — and this episode is the perfect place to start.

Support the show

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

What if the biggest factor influencing your race-day performance isn’t your mileage, your pace, or your nutrition… but your mind? 🧠🔥

In today’s episode, we break down the overlooked connection between mental preparation and injury prevention, especially as runners gear up for major events like the Chicago Marathon. You’ll learn:

✅ Why mental load and stress directly affect muscle tension, coordination, and pacing
✅ How distraction and anxiety increase the risk of mid-race injury
✅ What the research actually says about mindfulness, visualization, and pre-race routines
✅ Practical pre-race mental tools you can use this week
✅ A 90-second corral routine that every runner should be doing

Whether you’re chasing a PR, building confidence, or trying to stay injury-free, this episode gives you the science and the strategies to run smarter, calmer, and stronger.

🏃‍♀️ Want more support, coaching, and community? Join PR Pursuits on Skool.

If you love diving deeper into performance, injury prevention, mindset, and nutrition — our PR Pursuits Skool Community is where it all happens.

Inside you’ll get:
⭐ Weekly education & live coaching calls
⭐ A supportive community of runners working toward their next PR
⭐ Strength & conditioning guidance
⭐ Q&A access to Coach Mel and Dr. Heather
⭐ Bonus resources, training tools & injury prevention lessons
⭐ Space to share wins, struggles, and progress

Join us inside PR Pursuits → Where runners grow, learn, and push for the next breakthrough.

🎧 Tune in now and get race-ready — mind and body.

This is the episode every marathoner needs in their ear before race day.

Support the show

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, or TOS, is a term that is tossed around often but can feel difficult to diagnose and treat. Often defined by compression of nerves and vascular structures that originate in the cervical region and the upper extremity, compression of these structures can result in numbness and tingling, general discomfort in the upper extremity and chest, and even result in feelings of fatigue and heaviness in the arm and hand. These nerves and vascular structures typically become compressed in the area just above the first rib and behind the clavicle after they originate from the cervical region.

Pillow recommendation 💪 https://customsleeptech.com/drheather/

Get access to Dr. Heather's Myofascial Release Online Course 💪https://go.askdoctorheather.com/cart-page-page-1012-7832-4452

Support the Show.

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/fixmypainnaturally
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

So many runners are told to STOP running when they get diagnosed with Osteoarthritis. Dr. Heather is going to tell you that you can run again which is why she is going to give you 5 tips to help you get back to your favorite past time. Pay attention to all of them especially #4 as this is a secret tip which has helped many of her runners succeed when they thought they would never run again.

Want to read the full article Dr. Heather mentions in the video on the Synvisc shot 👉 https://www.synvisconehcp.com/synvisc-studies

Interested in purchasing a TENS unit for home? This is the unit Dr. Heather recommends to her patients 👉 https://amzn.to/3XLJeHl

Click here to view the entire 8 part Myofascial Release series 👉https://www.youtube.com/playlistlist=PLurtKimPYqT3Y5dQGVF9Ct4aDUyiPrHlP

Want a FREE copy of the 27 Tips & Tricks for Runners on Injury Prevention?
Click the link here 👉 https://go.askdoctorheather.com/27tipsoptin

Support the show

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

Why would a majority of influencers like @athleanx , @drkristieennis , @BobandBrad , @LeeWeiland and @calimove (probably even more) say to STOP DOING PLANKS? It got me thinking are they wrong or right about whether planks were indeed a poor exercise to do. So I decided to sit down, watch their videos, read through their comments, dig deeper into what health professionals are saying about planks in order to really come to conclusion on this topic.

⭐⭐ Let's get a discussion going on this topic ⭐⭐

Grab my FREE Ebook here 👉 https://go.askdoctorheather.com/optin

Want to challenge your core more? Check out my online course here 👉 https://go.askdoctorheather.com/cart-page-page

Support the Show.

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/fixmypainnaturally
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/

Had such a fun time discussing health and wellness with my very good friend Ella Ray. Ella's podcast and YouTube channel focuses on these topics: mindset, personal branding, marketing, sales, automation, AI, communication, parenting, relationships, finance, leadership, as well as health and fitness. It was such an honor to be featured on her show as we talked in depth on "understanding why you hurt and how to heal".

I highly encourage everyone to check it out today!

We also discussed my new book which will be released in September (pre-sale August) so stay tuned for more details.

Check out her new book "Learning Through Pain":
https://www.askdoctorheather.com/learning-through-pain-anthology

Support the Show.

Subscribe to Dr. Heather's YouTube Channel for more great videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@askdoctorheather

Connect with Dr. Heather on Social Media:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/heathergansel12
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/fixmypainnaturally
👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergansel
👉 https://www.instagram.com/drheathergansel

Dr. Heather runs a 3 Week Sports Chiropractic Telehealth Program all designed around fixing your pain naturally. Dr. Heather is an expert in her field and provides knowledgeable information through all of her videos. On her channel you will find various videos for runners, triathletes, weight lifters, skiers, cyclists and much more.

All Subscribers get a FREE Video Consult click the link below:
👉https://www.askdoctorheather.com/